Tattered Past

Thursday, September 13, 2012

One of the participants asked me to post one of the writings from my memoir journal. I chose to share something I was not allowed to do which I wrote on 9/9/12.

My sister was an artist and since she was ten years older she was doing sketches and oil paintings for as long as I remember.
She had an easel, tray and stool set up in the corner of our room and the smells of oil paints and turpentine bring that image to mind.
She had paintins of horses everywhere. Cowboys and ranch scenes.
When she was still in high school somebody in town commissioned her to do a series of hunting dog paintings.
Another time we had an old pickup in our driveway while Betty painted the name of the business and perhaps a logo on the doors.
In later years she said the one time she really wanted to kill me was when I got into her paints and made a real mess of things.
I don't remember doing this but I do remember Betty being really mad at me -- more than once.

[At this point I moved down to the Jots section and noted "sibling fights" for future subject matter.]

I grew up wanting to draw and paint just like my big sister. I don't think it ever occured to me that the ten year difference was a big part of the problem.
She tried to teach me to draw. Horses, trees, dogs. I can still feel the closeness of her and hear her voice as she patiently explained how it was done.

That's it. That took two pages of writing in the journal. Some prompts have taken one page and others up to four pages. No worries. I just go with the thoughts that come to me. I try to keep the pen moving and not spend too much time thinking because as I loosen up and let the thoughts flow onto the page I find other memories follow quicker than when I try to force my memory to work.

4 comments:

I love your memoir journal series. I'm always looking for new exercises...most of the time I procrastinate doing them--but it's good to have the prompts and questions knocking around in your head. Great post! Great work!Love,Jewell

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About Me

A few things I enjoy:
Photography, mixed media art, researching history, writing, history of the Old West, genealogy, being with friends, Tombstone history, discovering myself, reading, and teaching what I have learned about these things.
Things I love:
My family, my home, and my dog.